ennonite - Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches

constructing a personal care home in
Richer and then went to the committee
reviewing estimates fpr the department
of public works.
The atmosphere in the committee is
considerably more relaxed than in the
debates as the members are there
primarily to give straight-forward
questions and get straight-forward ·
answers.
At 4:30 Banman returned to the
main chamber of the House for the
private member's hour.
As was the case in committee and
during the question period, he was not
questioned nor did he contribute directly
to the debate on this particular day.
However, Mr. Banman indicated he
still had a role to perform supporting
the government side, being ready to
participate if necessary and maintaining
an awareness of what is happening
in the House.
"If you don't spend time in the
House, you lose the feel of what's
going on in there."
With the ' Legislature recessing at
5:30 Mr. Banman had time for supper
and then back to his office for more
paperwork until 8 p.m. when the
evening session was to begin. It would
be about 11:30 p.m. before the day's
session was adjourned allowing members
to go home for the night.
While members on opposite sides of
the House often appear to be at each
other's throats during debates, Mr.
Banman indicated members develop a
genuine rapport with each other even
though their political philosophies may
differ.
"In politics you've gpt to be able to
give and take if you are to accomplish
anything."
Life is just too short to carryon a
personal vendetta with another member,
he suggested, "you have to live
with these people."
Mr. Banman conceded debate in this
session of the Legislature has been
largely dominated by the Conservative
govern:\Ilent attacking the previous
NDP administration with the New
Democrats defending their years in
power.
However, he pointed out the present
government took power in October
when the spending estimates currently
under debate were already in the
process after being initiated by the
NDP.
Further, he suggested, the wounds
of losing the election are probably still
fresh for the NDP.
Mr. Banman said it is difficult to
compare the role of an opposition
member with that of a cabinet minister.
"It's a different ball game."
The opposition can be freewheeling.
The government is constantly in the
public eye and they have the facts
when they face the Legislature.
8/mennonite mirror/summer 1978
However, he noted, as a cabinet
minister, he is directly involved in
decision-making and has the power to
bring position and policies he supports
into being.
But even as a cabinet minister, Mr.
Banman finds red tape can still get in
the way.
"Policy still has to go through the
normal channels, you can't just change
things on taking office."
Even at home Mr. Banman cannot
escape from the job as time in the
constituency can help him keep in
touch with feelings at the local level.
Things of critical importance in the
Legislature are often of little concern
in the constituency, Mr. Banman indicated;
over coffee he can find out what
people are concerned about.
He is in a unique situation as many
other cabinet ministers do not have
the benefit of going home every night
and keeping in touch with friends and
other people at the local level.
"I try to guard my weekend jealously,
I could be going seven days a week if I
didn't say no sometimes. It's an all
consuming thing."
Despite the responsibility and the
hours faced by elected officials, Mr.
Banman rejected suggestions there
should be substantial increases in the
present salaries of about $35,000 for a
member of cabinet and approximately
$19,000 for a backben«her.
171 Donald St.
947-1243
Some people say elected officials
should be offered more money to
attract better people. "I don't think it
would work. I would hate to see it
come to a point where we have only
professional politicians."
"The majority of persons are not
here for the dollar." However, if
cabinet ministers were $50,000 or
$60,000 people they would pay more
attention to making the job self-perpetuating
than doing the job.
Mr. Banman indicated the cabinet
post has been more work than he
expected but said he has enjoyed the
job, "it's been really educational."
"My biggest regret is I spend a lot of
time away from my family," he said,
noting his children are growing and he
is unable to spend as much time with
them as he would like. Being a
younger person, that's the biggest
problem."
That is one problem younger politicians
just have to get used to, he
suggested. mm
TV TIMES
A mother, feeling guilty about the
amount of time her family spent in
front of the television tube, replied to
a poll-taker: "Oh, we seldom watch
television. In fact, we turn it off more
than we turn it on."
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